A Puffington Host teaser headline this morning reads: “Bill Clinton Gives President Obama Another Headache.” (Politico‘s headline is: “Clinton Ditches Obama Message–Again.”) This time he says the Bush tax cuts should be extended: Says the PuffHo: “Clinton’s insistence that he would have “no problem” extending all of the tax cuts for some amount of time puts the Obama campaign in an awkward position.” Last week he said Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital was “sterling,” and then said, “Who, me? Undermining Obama? Never!” It couldn’t have been less convincing if he’d said “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘sterling’ is,” or, “I. Did. Not. Have. Financial. Relations. With. Wall. Street.”

It’s less likely he can wiggle out of this latest tergiversation, however. Unlike Cory Booker, Harold Ford, and other lesser Democrats, you can’t leash the Big Dog.

Even though he hasn’t been on the hustings for several years and arguably flopped in South Carolina in 2008 on behalf of Hillary, Big Dog Clinton doesn’t make many political mistakes. Even his B-game is impressive. So what’s with his “off message” comments of the last week? Here are three theories.

First, perhaps this is merely payback for besting Hillary in 2008, and now that Obama is vulnerable he’s going in for the kill by subtly undermining him. Chances for Hillary in 2016 are better against a potentially weak Romney than as a successor to a second-term Obama. Voters will likely be fed up with Democrats by 2016 if Obama manages to win this year.

Second, a variation of the first theory is that the Big Dog wants to kill off any chance of Hillary replacing Biden on the ticket, thinking this would also tarnish her chances in 2016 if she agreed to this desperation measure. A series of regular “mistakes” from the Big Dog will help foreclose this gambit.

Comments

Hell, Slick Willy was only telling the truth for the first time in my memory. He has an axe to grind, he wanted another 8 years at 1600, and this jive talking homie aced him out of it! Obama can't tell him to shut up, he could have him assassinated, but that would look bad, he can't buy him off like Rev. Wright… looks like homie is stuck with a bulb-nosed TARBABY!

I hope he is! It would be the best thing for us all, if he could sink this Disease in office lower than the Titanic! I wish someone would sink this disaster before “IT” sinks us! We already have a horribly large “leak” as it is, Obama is the worst “LEAK” to ever be sprung on America! Please, Bill, work on that leak some more, do tell the truth, and nothing but the truth about this Disease who has Infected America and every aspect of being American! It would be the most decent thing you could do for this nation, and for the people of this nation! SINK THE DAMN BOAT! BLOW A HOLE IN THE SHIP OF FOOLS NOW SAILING ON OUR WATERS!!!!!